Switch-throwing device.



0. DMEN.

SWITCH THROWING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED 11110.16. 1911.

Patented May 13, 1913.

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' i to so construct. a device of the character de- OCTAVE DMEN, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

SWITCH-THROWING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 13, 1913.

Application filed December 16, 1911. Serial No. 666,240.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Oo'rAvn DMnN, a citi zen of the United States, and resident of the city of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Switch lhi-owing Device, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a switch throwing device, such as is used to change the movable tongue switch generally employed on tramways, from one position to another.

The primary object of this invention is scribed that no care will be required to bring the car upon which it is mounted to a position exactly over the switch to be thrown.

Previous devices of the general character of applicants invention have been of such a nature that considerable care was required in stopping the car upon which they were mounted in order to have the switch throwing device in such a position that the tongue could be reached. Applicants device avoids such difliculty and consequently the device becomes usable in practical work.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description of the device progresses.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings upon which like characters of reference refer to like parts and in which,

Figure 1, is a view of applicants invention applied to a car; Fig. 2, is a sectional elevation of the device looking in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, showing a frag ment of a car on which it is mounted; Fig. 3, is an elevation of the device looking in the direction of the arrow Fig. 2; Fig. 1, is a plan View of the device.

The car 1 having the platform 2 has a supporting casing 3 attached thereto by means of the bolts 1 and 5. The casing 3 has a horizontal top plate 6 integral therewith, in which is formed the hole 7 having the circular cup shaped socket member 8 fitting therein. The member 8 has an overhanging shoulder 9 resting upon the top plate 6 of the casing 3. In the cup shaped depression 10 of the member 8, a ball 11 is placed, of such a size that it will not pass through the hole 12 in the socket member 8, but may revolve freely in the socket member. The ball 12 has a hole therethrough on its diametric line adapted to receive the rod 13, which can slide freely therein. The rod 13 has a handle 14; formed at its upper end and a wedge shaped piece 15 at its lower end and is held in the position shown in full lines in Flg. 2, by means of the spring 16,

fastened at one end through the hole 17 and floor of the car is cut away as at 21, the bar I may be moved about without obstruction.

hen the driver of a car equipped with this device desires to move a switch tongue as 22, in the track, he brings the car to a stop so that the lower end of the bar will lie somewhere within three or four feet of the tongue to be moved. He then grasps the handle 14: and looking through the glass 20, inserts the lower end 15 of the bar between the rail 19 and the tongue 22. and twists it. its soon as the tongue has been moved, the bar will return to its normal position, as soon as released, by virtue of the spring 16, so that no further attention need be given the bar by the driver.

The dotted line positions of the bar in Fig. 2, gives some idea of the range of movement of the bar 13 longitudinally of the car and the dotted line positions of the bar in Fig. 3, of the range of movement transversely of the car.

In order to remove the switch throwing bar from the car, it is merely necessary to lift on the handle 141 and all parts except the casing 3 will be removed from the car. This is of great advantage as every driver may have his own switch throwing device for which he will be responsible.

\ithough applicant has herein illustrated and described his device as attached to one side of the front platform of the car. it is to be understood that he does not consider himself limited to such position for he may, if thought advisable, place it in any other advantageous position, or may locate a casing 3 at each corner of the car and have one ha and associated parts fitted in each casing, or one bar and associated parts common to all casings.

Having thus described the principle of the invention and described one specific embodiment thereof, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a switch throwing device, a car having a fioor, a member having a transparent portion, and formed with an opening adapted to be attached to the floor of the car over the opening formed therein, a socket member having an overhanging shoulder fitting in the opening in said member, said socket member formed with an opening, a ball extends, said ball formed with an opening therethrough, a rod adapted to slide in said opening, means for grasping said rod above the ball, said rod having a wedge below said ball, and resilient means between the ball and the rod adapted to raise the rod after being depressed.

3. In a switch throwing device, a socket member formed with an opening therethrough, a ball formed with an opening therethrough adapted to oscillate in said socket and extending into said first men tioned opening, a rod having means for grasping it at one end and a wedge shaped member at the other slidably mounted in the opening in the ball, resilient means drawing the ball and vwedge bearing end of the rod toward each other, means for supporting the socket member, and a transparent member also borne by said means.

4. In a switch throwing device, a socket member formed with an opening therethrough, a ball formed with an opening therethrough adapted to oscillate in said socket and extending into said first mentioned opening, a rod having means for grasping it at one end and a wedge shaped member at the other slidablymounted in the opening in the ball, resilient means drawing the ball and wedge bearing end of the rod toward each other, means for supporting the socket member.

5. The combination wit-h a car, of a universal fulcrum carried by the car, and a switch rod carried by said fulcrum and adapted to be brought into engagement with a switch.

6. The combination with the platform of a car, of a universal fulcrum carried by said platform, said fulcrum having an opening therethrough, and a switch rod arranged to enter said opening.

' OCTAVE DMEN. Witnesses:

LILLIAN L. PHILLIPS, GEORGE T. WHITNEY.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

